Our Common Purpose recommends moving from a winner-take-all election model to a system of multi-member districts and a version of proportional representation. To advance this recommendation, the Academy convened a Working Group to chart a path for policymakers to implement this reform. The Working Group’s final report, Expanding Representation: Reinventing Congress for the 21st Century, will be available on October 15.
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** Coming Soon: Academy Publication on Multi-Member Districts with Proportional Representation
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Voters across the ideological spectrum believe their voices aren’t heard and that Washington fails to work in their interest. A key reason? The structure of our elections.
Our Common Purpose recommends moving from a winner-take-all election model to a system of multi-member districts and a version of proportional representation. To advance this recommendation, the Academy convened a Working Group ([link removed]) to chart a path for policymakers to implement this reform. The Working Group’s final report, Expanding Representation: Reinventing Congress for the 21st Century, examines how winner-take-all elections are fueling division, discouraging participation, and making it harder for Congress to function – and how shifting away from this system could lead to “improvements that are vital to America’s civic health."
Learn more about the Working Group and access the full report on October 15 here ([link removed]) .
** Stories from the Field
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** Unite America: How to Fix Closed Primaries.
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Kevin Singer (Unite America) writes ([link removed]) that closed primaries – where only registered party members can vote – make unrepresentative outcomes more likely and magnify the influence of special interests. A better alternative: Open, all-candidate primaries, which reward coalition-building.
** AEI: Assessing the Impact of Portland's Use of Proportional Ranked-Choice Voting.
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Portland, Oregon first used proportional ranked-choice voting to elect city council members in November 2024. A new report ([link removed]) from the American Enterprise Institute analyzes the kind of coalition politics Portland’s new electoral rules might produce.
** New Data on National Service: Service Years Boost Alums' Employment, Leadership, and Civic Engagement.
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Service Year Alliance released the 2025 Service Year Alums' Survey ([link removed]) , a report that provides new evidence that service years benefit young people, our communities, and the nation.
** Andrew Doty: What I Learned from my First Democracy Renovation Project.
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In a new post ([link removed]) on Danielle Allen’s Substack, the Renovator, Andrew Doty (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute) reflects on a civic project he led in Phoenix and offers key lessons for democracy renovators.
** CMF Announces 2025 Democracy Winners.
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The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) announced the winners of the 2025 Democracy Awards ([link removed]) , CMF’s signature program recognizing the best in congressional non-legislative achievement. The nonpartisan award celebrates members of Congress and their staff who exemplify outstanding public service, operational excellence, and innovative practices that strengthen our democracy.
** Service Year Alliance Launches Center for State Service Innovation.
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Service Year Alliance announced the launch of the Center for State Service Innovation ([link removed]) , a new initiative to strengthen and expand state-based service year programs. Launched with philanthropic support from Carnegie Corporation of New York and Einhorn Collaborative, the Center will work with local leaders to unlock new funding for service years within their states by providing technical assistance, public policy support, capacity building, and cross-state collaboration.
** Election Reformers Network Memo: Reforming Local Election Boards to Strengthen Impartiality.
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A new memo ([link removed]) from the Election Reformers Network offers an approach for states to switch to a more neutral structure for local election boards that would reduce the risk that partisan actors could tilt elections in their party’s favor.
** Nick Penniman: People are Ready for Reform. Is Congress?
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In a new post ([link removed]) for The Contrarian Substack, Nick Penniman, Co-founder and CEO of Issue One, unpacks recent polling that underscores Americans’ concerns about executive overreach, and points to reforms ([link removed]) that would restore checks and balances.
** In the News
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** NYT: Colleen Shogan to Oversee History Essay Series Exploring the Resilience of American Democracy.
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Colleen Shogan (former United States Archivist) will lead In Pursuit ([link removed]) , a project of OCP Champion More Perfect that will feature former presidents, historians and other prominent figures from across the political spectrum in an online history essay series aimed at exploring the resilience of American democracy. Learn more about the Academy’s efforts to engage Americans in conversations around America’s 250th anniversary here ([link removed]) .
** Get Involved
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** Village Square to Host Conversation with Laurie Patton.
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Join a conversation with Laurie Patton (American Academy of Arts and Sciences) and Steve Seibert (former chair of Florida Humanities) on the history of the Academy and how it’s shaping what comes next in America. The event is part of the UNUM ([link removed]) digital series.
DATE: October 7, 2025 | 7-8:30 PM EDT | Register Here ([link removed])
** We the People: A Conversation on the Fate of our Constitution with Jill Lipore.
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Join Academy President Laurie Patton in conversation with Jill Lepore about Dr. Lepore’s latest book, We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution.
DATE: October 22, 2025 | 4 PM EDT | [link removed] Here ([link removed])
** Read the Report
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Learn more about the Academy's current efforts to advance reforms to reinvent American democracy and read the Our Common Purpose report here ([link removed]) .
Read the Report ([link removed])
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